The Death of my Dream

Ladies and gentlemen,

I would like to announce the death of my dream. The entire time I spent in training for the army I stared at pictures of the red, white and blue beauty that I thought I could never have. Then I came home, got my Army bonus and one practically fell into my arms on ebay. So since August, I have been riding what I would consider to be one of the most beautiful bikes I have ever seen.

On The 21st of January, while on my way to work (I'm sure some of you disapprove of the bike being used as a daily driver, but as much as I would love to put it in a museum, I just could not stop riding it) a driver who was not paying attention turned across my lane and hit me right in the left front side. She smashed my leg and I pulled a superman about 20 feet landing on my back. Miraculously, and thanks to the proper riding gear I was wearing, my injuries were minor. However, I just heard from the Honda dealership that she will be totaled. this great motorcycle which represented so much to me is dead.

I will miss it, but feel I am a risk to myself and others on the road as I now second guess myself as a driver. I encourage all of you to wear the correct protective gear as I know it saved me from much more injury and enjoy every moment you have on your bike. The VFR truly is a work of art and I envy each and every one of you who has the joy of riding one.

Ride free.

 

I’m sorry to here about your loss. This is something that worries all of us riders. I hope you are all right, and hope in time you can jump back on the horse and ride again.

 

How very sad. Glad you are alright.
It does not sound like you have reason to second guess yourself. It sounds like the cagers are still to blame. I ride like everyone is trying to kill me. If you have any desire left to ride, do it.

 

Glad your okay, and maybe once you get a little time behind this episode you'll be ready to ride again...I'm sure there is another VFR with your name on it out there.

 

Keep the dream alive, as long as you are OK anything is possible. And as far as the bike being used as a daily driver I think most of us would say "Go for it", they are meant to be ridden. I felt the same way about my first car, it was destroyed by a "blue hair" that ran a red light, I thought that car could never be replaced but with each new vehicle I realized that each one had it's own personality, and each one was an improvement over the one before. Good to hear you had the proprer gear on, dress for the fall, not the ride. Peace.

 

You do realize you're being overly dramatic? Not to say that your life couldn't have ended or that maybe had you combed your hair slightly more to the left this whole thing wouldn't have happened... but as the saying goes, those who have been down and those who are going down.

Statistically, no one is going to go their whole riding career without a significant accident/injury.

I've ridden my FZ1 FULL TIME since the day I got it, I haven't owned a car in forever (yes, I ride in the RAIN, IN traffic, in heat, in cold)

My riding career won't be over until I'm physically/mentally unfit to ride.

Make her insurance buy you a new bike; get back on.

Shit happens.

 

2ND that, Got to dust your self off and get back in the saddle, when your ready though. I went down hard when I was 17, a drunk ran me over head on. I won't go into it but it wasn't pretty for a long time. I still feel the affects daily. EXCEPT when I'm riding then everything is all right again. Like an early post said, "there are two kinds of riders, those who have been down and those that are gonna go down. Good luck

 

Glad you're ok, bikes can be replaced. Tell the cagfe oiwner that she can pay for your new RWB at southern Honda in Chattanooga, they have 5 left, Here's to hoping you get back in the saddle.

 

Let me start off buy saying glad your not badly injured.
But MAN UP, everyone falls and if you live your life in fear then that fear controls you

 

Your dreams needn't be dead. I've gone down twice, but in both instances I refused to be defeated and just give up something I love. I soon got back to riding, but only when I felt that I was ready to do so.

I think I know what you're talking about when it comes to 'second-guessing' yourself. After an accident, it's common to have some unpleasant flashbacks, dreams, and nightmares about the incident. In my case, once I began riding again (very tentatively at first) I found that my fears initially resulted in a very bad habit, that being a tendency to want to fix my gaze down towards the surface of the road, as well as tendency to focus my gaze on a rather small wedge of my forward vision, rather than keeping my head and my eyes up and looking far into the road ahead, rather like looking through a wide-angle camera lens. Look where you want the bike to go, rather than where you're afraid of it going, which is down.

If and when you decide to ride again, take small and incremental steps. Ease yourself back into riding, and re-learn to begin trusting yourself and the bike again. Learn to trust your wide-field vision and situational awareness. In most cases, you and the bike will do the right things if you just relax, pay attention, and don't try to fight it.

The post-traumatic stress of an accident may soon pass (and you will be all the wiser) if you can allow yourself to learn from past experience rather than beating yourself up, which serves no useful purpose.

BTW, if your bike was uninsured for damage, you can always save your money and buy another, when and if you feel inclined to do so.

 

Sorry about your mishalf I went to a similar sittuation few months back lost my SILVER BULLET and I get back on the black beauty Japmaican girl 5 days after. Take care of yourself and hope you can get back riding soon. BTW Thanks for your service.

Cheers

 

Glad to hear you are OK and that you were riding ATGATT!! :thumb: Most of the people on this site will be able to tell you about one hairy story or another. I'm no different: I went over the handlebars on one of our local bridges when someone squeezed me out and knocked me off my old 750. I "supermaned" at 35mph and rolled to a stop wearing full gear.. Not a scratch on me. The footpeg on the shift side snapped off so when i unloaded the bike at work I was able to fix it over lunch and rode home.

The most important thing is if you want to continue riding then GET BACK ON THE BIKE as soon as possible. The longer you wait the more your over thinking brain will convince you that riding is not not for you. It's a trick; don't listen to that drivel! Get your money from the "cager" and get another RWB VFR! Good luck with whichever decision you make.

 

March 2006, I was rearended by a sleeping driver at a red light. Severly broken leg that was almost amputated, a month in the hospital, and months of rehab, I was back on a bike in 6 months and have never regretted it. I dont know how I would be able to live without owning a motorcycle. It is my passion, not to mention all of the friends I have made owning one and all of the experiences Ive had that I will never forget.

Get up, dust yourself off, and get another bike. You wont regret it.

 

Bummer

I have totaled more than most have owned and would never give up the times I have had . The times I will have are not to be paid for with all the money in the world and all the money in the world will not be able to purchase them. Go get another. You will not be sorry but you will if you do not.

 

I guess this is what god is for,not Viagra.I'm Dr ewling,1020dr

 

If riding is truly in your blood, you will be back on a bike... you will get past the mental "stuff" you are putting yourself through and get beyond it to do what you are meant to do. I, like everyone else here, have been down numerous times. Fortunately, each time was my own fault for pushing my limits and I know what I did wrong. Maybe it will take baby steps and if so, that might mean going to a beginner MSF class, and riding their bikes to get your confidence back. Not only would that get you back on a bike, but they will remind you of all the things you should be doing, and break any "bad habits" you may start after your crash, as someone else here mentioned he did. You can also rent various bikes, depending on where you live.

Now, you are going through a myriad of emotions about this and it's easy to say you are done riding. Maybe you are... but for most of us, it's in our blood and we *can't* stop. If it's in your blood, you'll be back on a bike, maybe not right away, but at some point. Good luck...

 

We all lay one down it happens, glad to hear you are okay. Parts and bikes can be replaced you cannot. Thank you for your service to our country.

It took me 3 months to ride again affter my first dump. I had a zx9r throttle stick and I had the presence of mine to grap the shorty clutch handle just enough to have it slip from my fingers which allowed the bike to 12oclock me at around 80.

It was exciting for a minute, and painful for a month.

3 months later after replacing the engine case and a ton of parts I fired her back up and rode her around the block. A month later I was back on the road, and traded that once mangled bike for a 2004 Roadstar Warrior to resell.

Sill had my VFR this entire time.

Just remain calm and start small. Ride around the block and in safe comfortable areas till you feel confident. It will come back I can almost promise you.

You I am sure survived bootcamp and prob a tour or 2. Welcome home, never let go of your dreams

Chris Dombkowski
USAF Academy CO
DOD SVYY

 

Since you're in the Army, you should be able to relate to these words:

"Live For Something Or Die For Nothing"

You got clipped & your bike was destroyed? So freaking what? You lived, now learn. Learn how to prevent this from happening again & get back on that horse & make it your bitch.

KC-10 FE out...
lane: :usa2:

 

Well I'm going to make this short DON'T LET A CAGER DESTORY YOUR DREAMS BRO

 

maybe get another bike and ride at the track for a while to get some confidence.

Id say go for it. be glad you didnt get hurt worse, and buy another RWB! zoom zoom

glad ur ok